The End of School and the Start of Summer

 We got in home in time for Chase to attend his last two days of school. He missed field day while we were gone, but it worked out because Nana let him come to field day with her class once we got home. He loved it! The third graders were really sweet to include him and by the end of field day he was running around like he was just one of the class! On his last day of school he woke up throwing up! I felt so bad for him and he was so sad to miss school. He was feeling better by school time so I went ahead and sent him, but once I picked him up he said he felt sick again and threw up again shortly after. Oops. I was glad he got to go to his last day though. Kindergarten was such a great experience for Chase. He loved every single day of school and really thrived there.

Then our summer vacation officially started! We started off strong with spending lots of time at various parks and at the pool! Both kids are total fish this year! I've done some swimming lessons with them and they are both progressing really well! Chase looks like a pro in the pool now, and has very purposeful, clean, coordinated strokes. He's mastered freestyle, backstroke, and elementary backstroke. Hudson is starting to be able to swim on his own, float on his back on his own and is learning the strokes. It's so fun to see them progress! Every time we swim they ask me for a swim lesson- they are so motivated to learn!

 This little moment melted my heart. I asked Chase to hold Davis while I got ready one morning. I came back to find this- Chase had swiveled the rocking chair around so he could use the wall to push his foot off to make the chair rock, had gotten a book, and was reading to Davis. He is such a good big brother! Chase and Hudson both are - they love their little Davis so much and are seriously always willing to help me with him.

Davis turned three months old on June 4! At three months he rolls from front to back, is starting to suck/chew on his hands, and smiles at everyone. He has been fussy and not napping well so mid-June I started him on a stricter nap schedule and he's actually done really well on it. But that also means that we hurry out to do something fun (like swim) in between naps, and then I'm hurrying home and rushing the boys earlier than they'd want to quit so we can get home for the next nap. It's mostly working, but it's exhausting. I'm hoping as he gets older, and can stay awake for longer periods, that it'll just get easier. He still gets up to eat twice a night, and unfortunately thinks after that second feeding that it's "morning" even though it's usually between 4-5 am. Like I said, I'm exhausted. But Davis is the cutest little thing I've ever met and he just melts my heart. So I'd still say he's a complete delight in our family and we all just love him to death- but I would also love for him to sleep better. 

 Fathers Day- Ben was home for only one day during Fathers Day weekend between a trip to Boston and one to Austin. We spent that Saturday going out to breakfast, hanging out as a family, swimming and BBQing at my parents, and just enjoying being together. Ben had to leave again on Sunday morning, but I snapped this picture of him with his boys before he left. He is a great daddy to these silly kids- they are so lucky to have him!

Davis started sitting in the bumbo! This has made life a lot easier. He'll only be happy in it for a few minutes, but it gives me a chance to cook a little or do dishes or something else that usually I tried to do while holding him.

 One Monday night we found ourselves at the Fruit Heights City food trucks night. It was so fun! We all picked different food trucks to order from (we got pizza, it was delish) and had a nice picnic in the shade. The kiddos played and played at the park and in the grass with their cousin, the babies were doted on, there was fun music playing, all in all just a wonderful, pleasant evening.

 While Ben is out of town, I take a lot of pictures of the kids to send him throughout the day. These was just turned out really cute. Matching outfits are from Nana and I thought they looked just way too adorable.

 Our Saturday night tradition of swimming, BBQing and s'mores at my parents house is in full swing! It's really the best. Their yard is so lovely and relaxing and the kids have so much fun. These continue to be my very favorite summer memories!

Virginia and Washington DC

After my Grandpa's funeral we thought we'd have a minute to breathe and relax and maybe catch up on a little sleep- but this was not the case! Two days after his funeral we got the call that Ben's grandma Hugo had passed away. Both our grandparents passed away just six days apart. We definitely spent too much of May doing funerals. Grandma Hugo has been sick for a long time, and honestly her death was a relief. She was a great lady, and she suffered for far too long. That night we immediately booked tickets to fly back for her funeral.

One small glitch was that Ben was supposed to be in Austin for work that week. Since he'd already stayed home from Toronto the week before, he didn't feel like he could skip another business trip. So we made a plan and hoped that everything would go smoothly. Ben was supposed to leave Austin on Thursday afternoon arriving in the SLC airport at 4:00 to meet me for our 5:15 flight to Washington DC. And all was going according to plan until Ben's plane in Austin broke down and they had to deplane. I was a little stressed at the prospect of flying by myself with all three kids- but I stressed needlessly. My dad was able to help me get into the airport, check our bag and get to the security line. Then it was just me and the boys! Every step of the way, I had kind strangers offering and stepping up to help me with bags and kids. I honestly didn't even once have to ask for help- people were just there and noticed me by myself with my gaggle of children and grabbed a carseat or bag to lend a hand. It was amazing. There are so many wonderful people in the world! 

The flight was long (4 hours) but the boys did great! They were so excited with the prospect of flying on an airplane again and I was prepped with snacks and tablets and all that. Davis was a little fussy, covered me in spit up, blew out of his outfit before we even took off, and then slept for most of the flight. We all made it though! And luckily Ben was right there at baggage claim to pick us up! (He took another flight from Austin straight to Dulles). 

We spent a big part of Friday driving from DC to Powhatan. Normally a 2.5 hour drive took us well over five hours! Traffic was heavy, and we were traveling with a newborn who doesn't like his carseat. But we made it!

The funeral was Saturday. This is the only picture I have during the funeral- of Davis is his back-up outfit, because he blew out of his original outfit. Unfortunately, I didn't have a back-up outfit for myself so I went through the rest of the funeral, luncheon and graveside service with baby poop on my skirt. It's a good thing Davis is so cute!

The funeral was nice. Ray spoke and gave a beautiful talk about his mom and how great she was. I'm so glad we got to be there for it.

The rest of the weekend was mostly spent playing with cousins. The boys haven't seen much of their cousins, until recently when Brandon's family moved to Utah. Chase hadn't seen Elli since they were babies! But they all got along really well. They spent hours playing in the back yard with bubble wands and bubble guns. It was fun to see them together having such a fun time!

Monday morning we said good-bye to Ray and Diane and packed up to head back to Washington DC. We wanted to take advantage of being there to show the kids some of our nations capitol. Chase has been checking books out of the library about the various memorials in DC and about some of our Presidents, so he was well prepared to experience it all!

We took the metro into the city (which the kids LOVED even though it took forever) and started our day at the Air and Space Museum. The kids loved this! We saw a bunch of early space exploration stuff from the apollo missions- which completely fascinated Chase. We all touched the moon rock. We saw the Spirit of St. Louis and the Wright Brother's first airplane. And the boys experienced the hands-on kids play room doing experiments about flight. We could have stayed there much longer, but there is so much to see and we only had the one day, so we kept moving!

We headed out of the National Mall and started seeing the monuments and memorials. It was such a fun, educational day. As we walked we talked about the things we were seeing and why we have these memorials- their impact on our history and lives today. As we walked past the Washington Monument Hudson suddenly exclaimed "I wanted to touch it!" So we trekked up the little hill so he could actually touch it. It was the highlight of his day! It was fortuitous too, because from up on that little hill we could see the White House in the distance- so we didn't have to walk the extra mile to get there! 

I kind of forgot how much walking it takes to see them all! Our boys were troopers! Hudson was so tired climbing the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (which is my personal favorite) and we told him once we got to the top he could rest. Well once he got to the top step he immediately plopped down and refused to get up- with out even going inside! Ben convinced him to come inside and at least see it, and then they returned to rest on the steps. Chase and I spent a few more minutes inside the memorial and talked all about Abraham Lincoln, read the Gettysburg Address together and talked about what he did for our country. I think this memorial is so powerful and I love it. 

I love the view from here! As we sat on the steps, I had Chase on my lap and I told him about the last time I was here. I had just found out I was pregnant with him. I came to DC with the nursing program at BYU and I stood right in that spot on the Lincoln Memorial steps. Watching the world turn pink at sunset, I had this overwhelming impression that this little baby would be a boy and I wanted to name him Lincoln.  Well, Ben vetoed that idea and we named him Chase instead, which fits him perfectly. I loved having a moment there to share this amazing place with my little boy almost exactly 7 years later. He totally got why I love this place so much, he loved it too. 

Once we finished with the memorials we needed to get back on the metro- the problem being that there isn't a metro stop anywhere close to where we were at that point. So we walked over to Arlington Cemetery. The boys were so tired but they were troopers. Hudson had to be carried for some of that last mile, and overall I'd guess we walked 5-6 miles that day, which is a lot for a little kid. By the time we got to Arlington they were completely beat. I would have loved to show them more of Arlington, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, JFK's grave and all that, but those sites are a long walk from the entrance and we knew we were already pushing the boys to their limit. Instead we showed them the graves, explained the uniqueness of that cemetery and what it is there for, and hopped back on the metro. Almost as soon as the train started moving Chase fell right asleep!

I wished we had more time to spend in Washington DC. We wanted to make it back to Utah so Chase could go to his last few days of school, so we only had that one day. There is so much more to see and do and I hope to take the boys back someday. But for just one day there, we saw a lot and made the most of the time we had. Our flight home was very smooth and easy. Ben got upgraded to first class (thanks to his medallion status from flying so much) so he gave the first class seat to me and Davis and he sat with the boys in our normal seats. It kind of made up for me having to fly by myself with all three kids on the way out.

It was a whirlwind trip, but one I'm so glad we were able to take. I'm glad we were able to celebrate Grandma Hugo's life. I think our boys made lasting memories of such meaningful people and places. And we got in some good family together just the five of us. 

May, Mothers Day and Grandpa's Funeral

 I thought once we got home from Boston we'd be able to breathe for a little bit, but life actually just got more crazy from there! The boys were so excited that next morning to see that Davis was home! (They didn't seem to care that mom and dad were also home- it was all about that baby brother!) They hopped right in bed and snuggled him and were so happy to see him!

The next Sunday was Mothers Day. Possibly my favorite part of Mothers Day this year was this little card Chase made me at school. I especially got a kick about his guess at my weight- just because of the 114.1 (.1? What kindergartener thinks of that?!). I think every little thing he does is precious, but this one is especially cute!

 For my Mom's mothers day gift this year, Kate and I got our kids dressed up and tried to get a good picture of them. This was the one we got and I absolutely love it! (So did my mom, for the record). We blew it up and framed it for her wall. Kate made the silly faces to make them smile and I snapped with my camera as fast as I could. I love all these little ones so much- this is the cutest crew of cousins you'll ever meet!

 I had Ben take a picture of me with my boys before church on Sunday. These boys really are my greatest dream come true. I love them so much and I love being their mom. It's a hard job, but my very favorite job.

 Mothers Day this year also came with some sad news for our family, my Grandpa Smith passed away that morning. He's had terminal cancer since last fall, and we knew it would be coming, but we didn't realize how soon until just a few days before. Chase took it especially hard, since he always really liked and felt connected to "Bill" (What Chase and then Hudson always called him). For me, the hardest part was seeing my dad and Grandma mourning. We talked to Chase and Hudson a lot about heaven and where Bill was and what we was doing now- which seemed to help them.

One nice thing is that we were able to have the whole family together for the funeral. Heidi, Nate and Halie all flew in, and Ben cancelled the business trip he was supposed to take that week, so we were able to be all together- and we spent a lot of time together during those few days. My sibs and I sang at the funeral, and we joke about "Daddy's Hands" now and how we will have it imprinted on our minds FOREVER and ever.

Chase was such a little sweetheart through the whole thing. I reminded him the morning of the funeral to give Grandma (his great-grandma) a hug, which he did so sweetly. They opened the casket right before the family prayer that morning for anyone who wanted to say good-bye, and so I took Chase up. Sweet little Chase, with tears in his eyes, stood next to my Grandpa's casket and sweetly waved good-bye. It was such a sweet and tender moment I'll never forget. He did the same thing again as we left the graveside, stopping (unprompted) right by the casket and waved good-bye to Bill.

Hudson, on the other hand, just provided some really great comic relief! As we were walking up to the graveside he said excitedly, "I can't wait to see the hole!" Then as we were leaving, my Grandma was introducing the boys to her sister. As my mom explained that this was grandma's sister, Hudson said, "Yeah, and Bill's in there." motioning over his shoulder at the casket. It was just so matter of fact and so funny- oh that Huds is the best.

Since we were all together we pulled together a quick family photo. Over the last few years we've been steadily adding to the family and we haven't had a updated photo with everyone in it. This was quite the feat to pull together, but I think it turned out pretty good!

And here is just a little picture of little batman. I love this outfit so much- it was a gift from Keely for Davis and he looks so cute in it. He wore it a lot in May. This little man continues to be such a delight in our lives! 

Boston

Ben goes to Boston once a month for work, and since Heidi lives there and I've always wanted to go to Boston I really wanted to tag along on a trip! But this idea started when I was 8 months pregnant, so once Davis was born and old enough to travel we made it happen! I'm so glad we did- it was so fun!

We left on a Friday night after work, Davis was a dreamboat on the flight! He was so sweet and happy and everyone commented on how cute and good he was. I wouldn't normally classify Davis as an "easy" baby- but on this trip he was! He was content and sweet and smiled and slept in the Ergo a lot. We got to our hotel in Cambridge at like 2 am and were completely exhausted. We crashed and met up with Heidi the next morning! We had a yummy lunch (it took us until lunch time to really get going) and then we started on foot seeing the sites of Boston!

One of my favorite places in Boston was easily the Public Garden. It is so beautiful! And they had tulips in bloom everywhere, which are one of my favorite flowers. And this is where the famous "Make Way for Ducklings" statues are (and where the book takes place). That is one of my boys favorite books, so we certainly had to stop and see the ducks!

I also loved the State House. It's also in "Make Way for Ducklings", but since the pictures are all pencil sketches in black and white, I just assumed it was white/gray marble like most state capitols. It was such a fun surprise to see the gold dome and red brick!

We did most of the freedom trail. Heidi is the best tour guide. She took us to all the big sites and had a few interesting facts about each one. We stopped at the cemetery that has John Hancock's grave, along with the Franklin family (although Ben Franklin isn't buried there) and Mother Goose. Hudson really latched on to the concept that Mother Goose is buried there and it's the #2 thing on his list for when he visits Boston (#1 is the Public Garden, obvs). We walked all the way to the North End and saw amazing and beautiful sites along the way.  This one was Ben's favorite- the Old State House. This is the balcony from which the Declaration of Independence was read for the first time. The reenact that every year on July 4th. It's also the site of the Boston Massacre.

We stopped at Heidi's favorite pastry shop and loaded up on pastries (I think Ben picked four to sample) and stopped on a random park bench to enjoy them. Then Heidi did something hilarious and we started laughing super hard (very common when we are together)- and Ben took some pictures mid hysterical laughter. One of my favorite things about being with my sister. 

We met El (my cousin who also lives in Boston) for dinner in the North End at a yummy Italian place. And then we stopped in a charming little dessert shop after. It's a good thing we walked like 10 miles (no kidding- we had FitBit track it) that day!

After a slow Sunday morning in Boston, we headed out to Portsmouth, NH. This little town was so charming! I loved seeing these old churches all over New England. They are so charming and beautiful, I'm so glad they've been preserved. Also, having never been to New England I wanted to be able to see as many states as I could- although Heidi denied me when I said, "Maine is only 13 miles away! Let's go!"

Monday Ben had to actually work, so Heidi and I explored on our own. We went out to Newport, RI (that's three states if anyone is counting) to do a mansion tour. We toured the Breakers, which was the Vanderbilt's summer cottage and it was amazing! 

That night we met Ben back in Boston right in the harbor to have lobster rolls (okay, Ben and Heidi had lobsters, I might have had a hamburger.)

Tuesday was fun as well! We stopped in Heidi's office so I could meet everyone and she could show Davis around. Davis loved spending time with his aunt. In fact, he's been a bad sleeper in general since he was born, but in Boston he started sleeping six hours stretches at night! It was amazing! I hoped it would continue once we were home, but it didn't. Heidi came to visit Utah a week later and he went back to sleeping great again while she was here- so obviously Aunt Heidi is the common factor and we wish she'd just move to Utah already! Back to Tuesday- we wandered around Beacon Hill and did a little shopping before meeting up with Ben for dinner downtown again. El and Heidi's roommate Lauren joined us and we had a grand time!

Wednesday morning we went out to see Walden Pond. It's beautiful! I loved it there! We walked around the whole pond and basically had the whole place to ourselves!

Then we flew home! Davis was a little sweetheart on the flight again and charmed everyone around us. We had a really terrific trip- I loved spending time on the East Coast and mostly seeing my sister.